NCJ Number
203067
Date Published
November 2003
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This paper describes the background and methodology involved in a study designed to examine the effects of improved street lighting on crime in public spaces.
Abstract
In the United States during the 1960’s, the crime rate rose significantly, spurring researchers and policymakers to find ways of effectively reducing crime. Street lighting projects were undertaken with the belief that more street lightening might hamper the activities of criminals. However, subsequent research in the United States found the effects of street lighting on crime to be inconclusive. In the 1980’s, street lighting projects were also used to reduce crime in the United Kingdom and research on its effects in this country were mixed. The issue of whether street lighting reduces crime has not been revisited in the United States. As such, through an analysis of the relevant research literature, the article seeks to assess the overall impact of street lighting on crime, as well as which crimes are most impacted by street lighting and under what conditions street lighting is most effective. The article identifies the criterion for inclusion in the research review and describes the coding strategies, which include the outcome measures of property and violent crime, the displacement of crime, and the diffusion of crime prevention benefits. The article next provides information about the intended use of statistical procedures and conventions, which involve a meta-analysis of the research literature using the odds ratio to measure effect size. The authors seek to update their research review on street lighting and its effect on crime every 2 years. Tables, references